


First Christmas

by soldiermom1973



Series: 1,000 years (A Reconciliation Story) [31]
Category: Mass Effect (Comics), Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect - Various Authors, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Christmas Tree, Decorating, F/M, Family time, First Christmas, Fluff, Gen, Get Together, Hot Chocolate, Surprise Visits, aunts and uncles and cousins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldiermom1973/pseuds/soldiermom1973
Summary: Allie and Kaidan spend their first Christmas together.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Allie Shepard, Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard
Series: 1,000 years (A Reconciliation Story) [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1460416
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	First Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I'd had [a post](https://soldiermom1973.tumblr.com/post/189869038908/curiosityisfatal-gigglygamer) sitting in my tumblr queue for FOREVER about a certain necklace, knowing it would make the perfect gift for Kaidan to give to Shepard. After writing 1,000 Years, I knew he'd be giving it to Allie. My mistake was in not starting this story a day or two ago. What was supposed to be a quick page or two turned into practically a new chapter in their journey together that has taken me literally all day to write (though I confess to the usual writer's distractions of facebook, tumblr, and general losing focus).
> 
> You'll meet Kaidan's mom and some of his extended family, but please don't get too upset with me if it seems like a lot of information. My muses have this tendency of doing whatever the hell the want, regardless of where I want the story to go.
> 
> I also barely proofread it because I wanted to get it posted. If you catch any glaring errors, please let me know so I can fix them.

Allie watched from the doorway as Kaidan frowned, absentmindedly spinning his coffee cup on the mess table. His classes were on hiatus for a few weeks so his students and the academy staff could celebrate the numerous religious holidays that happened between November and January. The couple took full advantage of the fact Kaidan could go along on Allie's PR runs. Allie loved having him on board, relishing the chance for the two of them to make up lost time. Seeing the look in her love's face made her think back to a conversation they had on the SR-1

“Ok, Alenko, you've got a little black raincloud over your head,” she announced, plopping next to him on the bench. “What's on your mind?”

“Hey,” he smiled at her, wrapping his fingers around hers. “I didn't realize you were there.”

Allie brought his hand to her mouth and brushed her lips across his knuckles. “You've been staring at the same spot on the table for the past few minutes and I think you might have worn a groove in the laminate with spinning your cup. I won't even get into the wrinkles you'll get from frowning so much.”

“Ah, but my wrinkles will be distinguished and add to my dashing looks and charm,” he smirked, waggling his eyebrows.

Allie laughed and nudged against him, unable to disagree with his prediction. “Seriously, Kaidan, what's up?”

Her boyfriend took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. “Christmas is coming.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Well, I know it isn't a huge deal for you, but it is for me and my family,” he started. “But it's also our first Christmas together. I wanted it to be just us and for it to be... special,” he shrugged. “But I don't want Mom to be alone...”

“So let's go to Vancouver,” Allie offered.

“Really? You'd do that for me?” Kaidan clutched Allie's hand and her heart melted at the hopeful tone of his voice.

“Of course I would,” she said. “You're right that it isn't a huge deal for me and I honestly hadn't thought about it being our first one together. It'll still be special, even if it isn't just us. Besides, your mom shouldn't be alone for this. Not after you've told me all of those stories.”

Kaidan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. “God, I love you so much. Thank you.”

* * *

The Normandy stopped off at various parts of the galaxy, dropping off their crew to spend some shore leave with their families. Several volunteered to stay on board, because they either didn't celebrate any particular holiday or they just didn't care. James was looking forward to introducing Steve to his uncle, and Joker and EDI planned for some alone time together.

During the trip back to earth, Kaidan explained how Christmas Eve Day was almost as important as Christmas itself. That was when they set up the tree and decorated it, finalized the house decorations, baked cookies, and finished wrapping presents. Allie loved listening to him retell stories of his extended family getting together to celebrate the holidays. The gathering would always be at his parents' place because it was pretty central to the rest of the family.

“I have, well, had tons of cousins,” Kaidan explained with a touch of sorrow in his voice. “The war changed a lot of that.” He sighed and looked out the window, smiling only when Allie tightened her grip on his hand and nestled against him. He kissed the top of her head and continued, “I don't know who else, if anyone, will be coming. It could very well just be the three of us. Mom knows we're on the way, though, so that's what's important to me.”

When the Normandy docked, Allie and Kaidan reminded the crew they were more than welcome to stay at the Alenko household, but they all politely declined. The couple climbed into their rental and jetted along the busy street. Allie took in all the scenery as they traveled further away from the city – the landscape was covered in snow and the air had a brisk bite to it. Most of the houses were decorated for the holidays and Allie couldn't hold back a grin whenever she spied kids playing in the snow.

“Did it snow on Mindoir?” he finally asked.

“No.” Allie pulled her gaze away from the window and smiled at him. “It was pretty temperate year round. Maybe that's why I love this stuff so much.”

“You know, it's a shame they didn't want to come along," she added after a moment's thought, referring to the crew. We could have had an amazing snowball fight.” 

Kaidan laughed and kissed Allie's hand. “Well, maybe we can talk them into a quick visit before shore leave ends.”

When he pulled up to the house, Kaidan's mom, Dawn, was waiting for them at the door. She hugged Allie like she'd always been part of the family and ushered them inside, insisting they have some coffee or cocoa to warm up. “You've still got the beard,” she mentioned as she filled three mugs.

“More like it grew back. I shaved it a little bit ago,” he winked at Allie. “I figured if we were coming here, my face could use the extra warmth.”

Over the next several hours, Allie drank more hot chocolate than she had in her entire life. She and Kaidan took care of cutting down a tree and their combined biotics made getting it back to the house a piece of cake. Kaidan refused to let her use any biotics to decorate the tree, though, even going so far as to get a ladder from the garage to put the topper on the tree. “You just... don't,” he sighed when she questioned him about it. “Yes, it's easier, but there are some things you just don't do. And you don't use your biotics to decorate for Christmas.”

Allie laughed but didn't push the issue. “That's my fault,” Dawn whispered. “It was just weird to me to watch him Lift everything to decorate.”

Lights were strung outside (still using a ladder, though Allie insisted their biotics would make things go quicker, an observation that earned her a stern glare from her lover). Cookies were baked. Ham was glazed. Gifts were wrapped. When Kaidan asked about aunts, uncles, and cousins that might stop by, his mom sighed. She explained she hadn't heard from any extended family and wasn't expecting anyone else for the holiday.

“I think it'll just be the three of us,” she murmured before excusing herself to check on stuff in the oven.

Kaidan watched his mom retreat to the kitchen and hung his head. “I'm glad we came,” he finally whispered, reaching for Allie's hand. “It's been really hard on her with Dad not being here, still not knowing what happened to him or where he is...”

His voice trailed off and Allie pulled him against her, nestling her cheek against his head as a quiet sob shook his body. She stroked his hair and fought tears of her own – she didn't want to say she knew what he was going through because she knew what happened to her family, but grief was grief and it broke her heart to know there was nothing more she could do for him.

After a few minutes, Dawn came back in and announced dinner was ready. “We'll be having ham tonight, turkey tomorrow,” she explained as she took one roaster out of the oven and replaced it with another. Kaidan's mom had gone all out on the food, having been told she'd be feeding two biotics for Christmas. There were two massive hams, tons of mashed potatoes, enough gravy to fill the harbor, as well as corn, broccoli, and green bean casserole. Allie gaped at the amount of food, unsure how Dawn had managed to put it all together _and_ still help decorated.

Just as they sat down to eat, the doorbell rang. Kaidan answered it and the whoops and hollers from the new guests carried into the dining room. “Looks like we have company after all!” Kaidan announced as his mom's sister and brother-in-law followed him in, escorted by two of their kids. He introduced Allie to his Aunt Linda, Uncle Steve, Cousins JR (“He's Steve Junior, so we just call him JR,” Kaidan explained”), and Twyla.

Kaidan and JR gathered more chairs while Linda, Dawn, and Twyla made room for the extra food. Allie just stood off to the side, suddenly feeling like a fifth wheel as Kaidan and his family laughed, joked, and caught up on the clan's activities. Twyla's wife had to work and they had no kids of their own yet, and JR's wife was home nursing their sick kids. “I offered to stay, too,” he said, “but Becky insisted I come. She said she had a feeling I'd be missing out, and man, she was right.” He gave Kaidan a playful punch on the arm as the group laughed.

Kaidan tried keeping Allie involved in the conversation, filling gaps when he noticed she looked a little lost. His family asked her about her war experiences, comparing them to what Kaidan had previously told them. A couple of times, Twyla made the off-hand comment that she was glad to see the two of them together, so Kaidan could stop being a brooding man-baby.

“I was not a man-baby,” he huffed. Allie laughed when his cheeks got dark.

“Yeah, ok,” Twyla teased. “You'd just sit on that damn dock and pout every time you came home. If that isn't the textbook definition of 'brooding man-baby', I don't know what is.”

Linda nudged her daughter. “That's enough. It's Christmas. Be nice,” she chided.

The extra company meant there weren't a lot of leftovers to put away. Dawn produced two pies from the oven, though, as well as a pumpkin roll and two trays of cookies. “You two don't seem like you ate enough,” she looked at Kaidan and Allie, “so make sure you get your fill of dessert.”

Allie didn't have to be told twice, happily digging first into an apple crumb pie, then scooping out a slice of lemon meringue. Kaidan fed her bits and pieces of cookies, knowing she'd never tried sand tarts or peanut butter blossoms before. As the night went on, Allie felt more and more at ease with Kaidan's family, smiling when he draped his arm across her shoulders, rubbing his thumb along her collarbone.

The group moved to the living room and watched an old movie called A Christmas Story. “You've never seen it?” Kaidan asked, aghast. “This is a classic! We watch it every year!”

Allie frowned and shrugged, but soon found herself laughing along with the rest of Kaidan's family at Ralphie Parker and his family during the 1940s Christmas season. She found herself paying more attention to the family surrounding her as they shouted out lines and teased each other than she was to the movie. A couple of times, Kaidan caught her gaze and beamed at her before leaning forward to plant a kiss on her lips.

When the movie ended, Dawn tried to usher everyone to bed. “You all know Santa won't come until you're asleep,” she announced.

“That means she has extra gifts hidden somewhere she wants to put under the tree,” Kaidan whispered. “Come on.”

Kaidan and Allie took his old room, Linda and Steve took the guest room while Twyla and JR crashed in the living room.

“So?” Kaidan asked as Allie snuggled under the covers with him. “What do you think so far?”

“It's a lot,” she started, lacing their fingers together. “Definitely something I'm not used to. And it's only Christmas Eve? What will tomorrow be like?”

“Like today, only with gifts. Mom will probably be up early making breakfast, then we'll open our presents, then it'll be dinner, and then everyone will probably head their separate ways.” Kaidan planted a few kisses along Allie's shoulder and up her neck, chuckling when she shivered.

“Behave,” she admonished him.

He risked a nibble on her earlobe before humming a response. “Are you ok with staying for a few extra days?” he asked.

Allie frowned and glanced at him over her shoulder. “Shore leave is a week. I thought we were going to be here the whole time. Why? Were you thinking of something else?”

“No, no,” he shook his head. “But I wasn't sure what you might be thinking.”

“I'm thinking we need to be quiet and go to sleep so Santa shows up,” she laughed.

* * *

Allie never slept well in a strange place, even if Kaidan was cuddled tight against her. Her eyes shot open, her brain coming out of a post-nightmare fog as she tried to remember what she was dreaming about... smoke, chaos, screams were about all she could remember. It was still dark out, but at this time of year, that didn't mean much – Kaidan said the sun didn't start peaking over the horizon until well after 0700. She closed her eyes and quietly cleared her throat, wishing she'd be able to go back to sleep but knowing it would be impossible.

She sighed when Kaidan tightened his arms around her waist. “Can't sleep?” he murmured.

Allie shook her head. “Strange place and all. You know how it is.”

“Yeah,” he sighed and Allie felt him shift, knowing he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “How about if we get moving and see if Mom needs help. I guarantee she's already got some coffee on.”

It didn't take them long to get showered – the rest of the family was still asleep, so there was no line for the bathroom – and Kaidan was right, his mom had coffee on and several bowls lined up on the counter.

“Merry Christmas, you sleepyheads,” she smiled, leaning up when Kaidan moved to plant a kiss on her cheeks. “I'm not surprised you're the first ones up, but I am surprised you slept as long as you did. Even as an adult, Kaidan is always up at the butt crack of dawn on Christmas day,” she said aside to Allie. “It's like he never grew up.”

Allie laughed as Kaidan just shrugged. He went to swipe a blueberry but Dawn smacked his fingers away. “Those are for the pancakes, mister,” she scolded.

It was after ten before the rest of the family made their way to the kitchen. Allie helped Dawn get pancakes started while Kaidan assumed scrambled egg, bacon, and sausage detail. Twyla joined in to make the toast while JR washed dishes and Linda and Steve set the table.

Breakfast was a bit more toned down than dinner was. Allie wasn't sure if it was because everyone was still a little tired or if they'd pretty much run out of things to say the night before. There was still casual conversations about how everyone's jobs were going and what was going on with the family that couldn't make it. Talk turned somber as they remembered the loved ones they lost during the war and Allie had to fight to tamp down a surge of guilt.

She was here, in this very city, when the Reapers touched down. For the first time in years, she found herself questioning whether or not she'd done enough. Should she have tried harder to get people to understand the Reapers were real and they needed to prepare? Did she move fast enough to actually end the war? Was there a mission she should have skipped? Maybe one she missed?

“Earth to Allie, you in there?” Kaidan's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah,” she finally answered, giving him a sad smile. “Just... thinking.”

Kaidan raised an eyebrow, knowing there was more to it than that, but left well enough alone.

When breakfast was done and the dishes cleared, the group moved to the living room to open their gifts. Kaidan's family apologized for not getting either of them anything and the couple assured them it was ok. “You guys didn't know we were coming,” Kaidan shrugged. “We didn't get you anything either, for the same reason.”

Still, Dawn handed out several gifts to everyone – a sweater for Kaidan (which made Allie laugh when she thought about their mission on Noveria all those years ago), a scarf for Allie. Linda and Steve got a certificate for their favorite diner in the city. Twyla got a new novel from her favorite author and a framed painting for her wife from her favorite artist. JR got a new beer stein, but kept the gifts for his wife and their kids wrapped for them to uncover when he got home.

Allie and Kaidan had been at a loss as to what to get his mom – she kept insisting she didn't need anything and that their visit would be enough. Still, Kaidan knew his mom was struggling, so he found out who she contracted to fix the equipment in the orchard and sent them a check to cover her current costs as well as get her ahead a little. They also paid for several tons of fertilizer and mulch. Not wanting Christmas to be just things she needed, they also got her a subscription for a coffee-of-the-month club. “She drinks more coffee than I do,” Kaidan told her when he ordered it.

Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Dawn was grateful for the help and Kaidan and Allie were thankful they were in a position to be able to help her out.

Allie couldn't stop grinning when Kaidan tore into the gifts she got him – a Blasto coloring book and some limited edition crayons, a Bamco limited edition model of Blasto's frigate (“Do you have any idea how hard it was to put that together without you figuring out what it was?” Allie laughed. “It's a good thing I have a good poker face.”), and a new set of dog tags – one was hers and one was his, but on the back of hers, it said, “I always have,” and on the back of his, it said, “I always will.”

“Well, I think you'll like your gift, then,” Kaidan smiled and handed her a small package. When Allie opened it, she found a heart-shaped necklace with a curious disc in the middle of it. The heart was white gold with Roman numerals inscribed around it and there was a row of five diamonds that ran from the top of the disk and held the chain.

“Oh, Kaidan, it's beautiful!” Allie exclaimed.

“It gets better, hold on.” He went to the kitchen and came back with a flashlight and turned it on. He held the disk up to the light and pointed it at the wall. There was a collective gasp as the phrase “I Love You” in dozens of languages lit up the wall.

Tears welled in Allei's eyes and another small 'Oh” breathed passed her lips. Her fingers trembled as she reached to touch it while Kaidan placed it around her neck. The metal was cool under her fingers and she turned the pendant over in her hand, examining the design of the center piece.

“I figure you'll be ok to wear it while we're here,” he murmured,” but the pendant will fit on the chain with your tags, too, so you don't have to worry so much about the regs when we get back.”

Allie knew Kaidan meant for her to hide the pendant with her tags, since the Alliance allowed its members to wear a religious pendant or symbol alongside their tags, if they chose, and this wasn't exactly a religious symbol. Allie smiled to herself and figured if anyone asked, she'd say she worshiped the ground Kaidan walked on.

When the living room was cleaned up, the family gathered around the table again for another meal. The conversation and company was a little more boisterous than breakfast had been, but still toned down from the previous night's dinner. Dessert, coffee, tea, and cocoa were passed around, and before anyone knew it, it was late enough that Kaidan's extended family had to head home.

Allie's sinuses burned as his aunt, uncle, and cousins treated her like their family and made her wonder what her own family would be like right now. She didn't want to dampen anyone's mood, though, so she grabbed her coat and quietly slipped out the back after she said her goodbyes.

She wandered down to the dock and sat in one of the Adirondack chairs, glancing up at the sky while her fingers played with Kaidan's gift. She couldn't stop a lone tear as it spilled from her eye and trickled down her cheek. “I think you guys would like him,” she finally murmured. “In fact, I know you would. I really miss you.”

Allie brushed her hand along her cheek when she heard the dock creak behind her, determined not to let her memories ruin what had been a joyous shore leave so far. She smiled when Kaidan put his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

“You ok?” he asked, sitting in the chair next to her, reaching for her hand.

“Yeah,” she sighed, lacing their fingers together. “Just thinking about my family.”

Kaidan squeezed her hand and hummed a response. They sat in silence for a few moments, staring at the sky before Kaidan offered to get the telescope from the attic.

“I'm surprised you still have it,” Allie smiled and they walked back to the house.

“Yeah, well, I might have used it a time or two myself,” Kaidan shrugged.

“Really?” Allie asked.

“Really really,” Kaidan nodded, smiling down at her.

They wrapped their arms around each others' waists and strolled back up to the house to retrieve her telescope. “I still don't understand why you just don't use your biotics to help decorate,” she said with a smirk.

Kaidan sighed and she could practically hear him roll his eyes at her. “Because it's no fun. I mean, who would use their biotics for something so memorable?”

“Well, me, for one. Liara might. Jack definitely would,” Allie ticked their friends' names on her fingers and laughed when Kaidan nudged against her.

Kaidan sighed and shook his head. “It's about the tradition. You just don't use biotics to decorate. Period.”

“If you say so,” Allie grinned and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

“I say so,” he stated again, grinning back at her.

They walked the rest of the way to the house in silence and Allie was more than ok with that. As far as first Christmases went, she had to admit it was one of the best ones she'd ever had.


End file.
